Sebastian Steudtner, the current holder of the big-wave world record, has spent the last two years rigorously analysing and dramatically improving his surfboard with Porsche Technology subsidiary Porsche Engineering. Now, the board, known as the “Caçador RS,” has had its public debut in Cascais, Portugal.
At a wave height of 26.21 metres, Sebastian Steudtner now holds the large wave surfing world record. He wants to go larger in the future with better equipment. He has significantly optimised his gear through his extended relationship with Porsche. Porsche Technology’s subsidiary, Porsche Engineering, provided the essential impetus.
The goal of the partnership was to apply knowledge from the automobile industry to the context of surfing. The team enhanced the surfboard’s handling in the water (hydrodynamics), as well as the aerodynamics of both the board and the surfer, always with the intention of lowering drag in both the water and the air, using the most recent simulation techniques and wind tunnel validation.
Sebastian Steudtner, Markus Schmelz, Porsche Engineering
Steudtner is able to travel on the board at a faster speed because of this. Nowadays, speeds of 70 to 80 km/h are attainable. To ride larger waves, a surfer must go at a higher pace since the higher the wave, the quicker the surfer must travel to avoid it colliding with him. Sebastian’s surfboard’s whole system was optimised, resulting in a marked reduction in drag and the possibility of surfing speeds of up to 100 km/h.
“To reduce drag and stabilise the board, patented attachments known as aero edges were added to the front and back of the board”, explains Marcus Schmelz, Project Manager at Porsche Engineering. “We know this principle from automobiles: here, too, tear-off edges are defined, for example through the use of spoilers. They reduce air turbulence, making the car more stable and aerodynamic at high speeds.”
Sebastian Steudtner, Surfboard Cacador RS, 2023, Porsche AG
Aerodynamics tests in the Porsche wind tunnel also discovered additional potential optimisations, such as modifying Sebastian’s body position while surfing and using equipment that is optimised to produce significantly less drag. These changes to the board’s structure are in addition to the improvements found there.
The new board from Steudtner was known as the “Caçador RS.” The name is a mashup of the Portuguese term “Caçador” (hunter) and the traditional Porsche letter “RS,” which is only used for the most aggressive Porsche models. Steudtner can now head out in search of the next world record thanks to his new surfboard.
“It’s a very exciting moment for me to introduce our ‘Caçador RS’ at long last”, says Sebastian Steudtner. “Together with the Porsche Engineering team, we’ve spent two years intensively researching, testing, and developing. The result is a faster and more stable board that enables me to ride into even bigger waves—a milestone for our project.”
